Feeling Stressed? Overwhelmed? Follow these simple steps.
It can be easy to find yourself stressed, overwhelmed, or over-analyzing things in your life - or even overwhelmed just thinking about the state of the world.
Whether you’re putting off a house project, a work project, an assignment for school, or something else, here are 10 simple steps to follow in order to get out of the proverbial hamster wheel and reset.
The most important one is DEFINITELY #1.
Breathe
If you want to learn more about breathing and breathing techniques, click here.
Brain dump
Make a list of all the things you are thinking about, all the things that are bouncing around in your head. If you need to make multiple lists to categorize, do it! This is a crucial step as problems in our head seem a lot bigger. When we write them down, we give them somewhere to go.
Identify what’s in & out of your control
Make two columns or somehow identify the things you can control on the list and the things you can’t control.
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya Angelou
Identify the most important items that are in your control
Star or highlight the things on your list that you can control that are the most important and/or most urgent.
Prioritize
Of the things that are most important and/or urgent, prioritize them in list order… 1, 2, 3, etc.
Give yourself a deadline
If your items don’t have a deadline, give yourself one. Make sure you’re looking at your calendar and planning accordingly to ensure you have time to get everything done.
Limit distractions
Hide your phone, shut off the tv, throw out junk food, etc. Whatever it is you know you’re likely to be distracted by, set a boundary and set yourself up for success.
Set a timer
Start with 20 minutes. It’s very reasonable and you can usually make some good progress in this amount of time! If the 20 minutes ends and you’re on a roll, keep going, but no longer than 60 minutes without a break.
Take reasonable breaks
When you take a break, give yourself at least 5-10 minutes. If you’ve been looking at a screen, make sure to look away from a screen during this time, it’s super important for your brain function and cognitive capacity. That said, if you have a deadline and you take a 3 hour break, that won’t be productive or helpful.
Repeat any of the following steps
Repeat as needed! When in doubt, breathe!
One last tip, ask, “What would the best version of myself do right now?” or “what would [insert mentor name] do in this situation?” - This can help us get out of our own heads and into action.
If you enjoyed this and want more tips on mental health and self-care, check out my on-demand Masterclass here.
